I'm Kelsey, a Jesus-loving wife, mama, and photographer living in the Atlanta area. I specialize in all things wedding photography but take on a small number of maternity, lifestyle newborn, family, and senior sessions each year. On my blog you'll find my most recent work, random thoughts, and more pictures of my babies
than you ever wanted to see. :)

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My Pregnancy Must-Haves

I had such great intentions of blogging over this pregnancy. Great intentions that went a whole lot of nowhere. I wish I had done a better job posting my sessions and weddings from the end of the summer and into the winter, and of course, I wish I had been more diligent at documenting my pregnancy. The big moments are highlighted, but seeing my friend Megan document her pregnancy every week makes me feel a little bit like a slacker. Ha! With a little less than 7 weeks to my due date and not much left to do (I’m going stir-crazy over here!!!), I’ll hopefully be catching up on some of the blogging in the next few weeks.

Over the last 6 months, I’ve loved reading other women’s recommendations on what they loved while pregnant, so I thought I’d share my favorites today!

1. African Black Soap – Before pregnancy, I always had very oily skin. One morning, at the beginning of the second trimester, I woke up to find my skin dry… What in the world?! I had never experienced this before! For a few weeks, I continued using my regular face wash before realizing that it just wasn’t working anymore. Not only was I breaking out like a 12 year old boy (sorry if you are one), but I started getting dark spots all over my face. Just awesome. I’ve never been one to spend a lot on skincare… If it’s not available at Walmart or Target, I probably won’t buy it. I tried to force myself to take the plunge on a big-name product at Ulta, but I could not stomach spending $37 on face wash. Just couldn’t do it. Shortly after, I remembered hearing about African Black Soap from numerous bloggers that I follow. I looked it up on Amazon and found a bar for less than $6 and free shipping with my Prime account, so I decided to try it. A lot of women have reviewed this product claiming that they had “miracle” results with it. While my skin isn’t flawless, it has definitely helped with my crazy, hormone-induced breakouts, and the long-term effects are supposed to be awesome! I’ve been using it for about 4 months now, and I would highly recommend it… Especially considering the price. Nubian Heritage is the only brand I’ve tried, but I hear there are other great brands that carry it as well.

2. Halos/Cuties/Clementines – On the days where I feel “blah”, having something light and citrusy to snack on has been so refreshing!

3. Aquaphor – Back to the dry skin thing… Between my dry skin and this crazy winter that we’ve had here in Arkansas, I’ve needed more than the Eucerin lotion that I normally use. I can only use Aquaphor at night because it has such a greasy, Vaseline-y feel, but it’s made a big difference on my hands, knees, elbows, and especially on my cuticles!

4. Full-Panel Old Navy Leggings – When I ordered these at the beginning of my pregnancy, I remember getting them in the mail and thinking, “These jokers are MASSIVE! This belly panel will never fit!” Welp. They fit. And they actually fit in the second trimester. Oh, how quickly the body can change. Insert sobbing emoji here. Because I’ve been carrying Archer so low this entire pregnancy, nothing under-the-belly fits me the right way. I’m very jealous of all you mommas who can rock this style, but it always hits me awkwardly mid-belly. These full-panel leggings from Old Navy have been a God-send this winter!

5. Benefit’s Boi-ing Concealer – I love this product SO much and not just when pregnant! A few years ago, I learned that there are a few makeup items that are smart to splurge on. This little guy is $20, but I’ve had it for over a year so far. The coverage is incredible, it blends well, and lasts all day! Perfect for a preggo who is having crazy breakouts as a result of her sweet baby.

6. Body Pillow – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “must-have” pregnancy list that DIDN’T list some sort of body pillow. Mine is a cheapo from Target, and it has helped me sleep much better than I was sleeping in the first few months of pregnancy.

7. Spring Valley Prenatal Gummies – I tried, and I mean REALLY tried, to take regular prenatal vitamins at the beginning of my pregnancy, but the giant, weird tasting, horse pills made me gag every time. My doctor okayed these prenatal gummies, and I actually look forward to taking them every morning!

8. Old Navy Long Cardigan – (This actually isn’t the exact cardigan I have, but it’s very similar.) I’ve said SO many times that I am so thankful to not be pregnant in the middle of the summer, BUT I hate having to get all bundled up every time I go outside. I tend to be a little hot-natured, and this has only become more true the last few months. Because of that, I don’t like wearing my heavy winter coats because I tend to get overheated… Not great for someone who has a tendency to pass-out. Maybe I should also note that all of my coats are running a little small these days, and watching me try to button them is just laughable. When I found this cardigan at Old Navy, I knew it would be perfect for me to layer with. It’s heavy enough that I don’t freeze but not so hot that I feel like I’m going to suffocate. It’s also very long and goes past my butt! I don’t know why I ever take it off. :)

What am I missing out on? I’d love to hear your pregnancy favorites… Especially for the last 6 weeks! :)